Ark Encounter - Noah's Ark Theme Park

[Staff]

Kentucky 'Ark Encounter' Plans Full Scale Replica of Noah's Ark

Disneyland has its castle and Epcot has its ball, but the centerpiece of a planned theme park in Kentucky will be something altogether different -- a full-scale replica of Noah's Ark.

Developers in Kentucky are drawing up plans for a $150 million theme park called the Ark Encounter, to be built on a biblical scale. The ark alone will be taller than a three-story building, the deck longer than 35 tennis courts. Constructed out of timber using dimensions from Genesis, planners say it will be big enough to fit 600 train cars inside.

"We think the ark and the account of Noah's flood, even though it happened 4,000 or 5,000 years ago, can actually speak volumes today to our culture," said Mark Looy, a developer of the park who co-founded the nearby Creation Museum.

The park won't have any rides, but plans suggest that there will be plenty to do. In addition to the full-scale wooden ark, there will be live stage shows, museums, theaters, a petting zoo, and even a Tower of Babel.

While the Bible says it took Noah 100 years to build his ark, the Kentucky version should take closer to three years. Though its creators are just now settling on a site for the park, they say it should open in the spring of 2014 near Williamstown in northern Kentucky.


Kentucky Offers Tax Breaks for Ark Project
Kentucky's Democratic governor has signed on to the plan, promising almost $40 million in tax breaks for a project that is expected to create 900 jobs. According to a feasibility study for the park, 1.6 million visitors could show up in the first full year alone, and the project could generate $250 million in state revenue.

"Bringing new jobs to Kentucky is my top priority, and with the estimated 900 jobs this project will create, I am happy about the economic impact this project will have on the Northern Kentucky region," said Gov. Steve Beshear at a press conference announcing the plans.

The governor describes it as a lifeboat for his struggling state, but not everyone is aboard. The ark has opened up the flood gates of controversy, with critics charging that it's a direct violation of the separation of church and state.

"A private company can build a theme park about the Bible. But the government shouldn't be using its money to advance religion. That's what's unconstitutional about this," said Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional scholar at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. "It's wrong to force people to pay tax dollars to support religions they don't belong to."

Ark Plan Sparks Church-State Controversy

The governor has dismissed the criticism, saying Ark Encounter is above all else an economic development project and that the tax breaks don't violate the separation of church and state.

"The people of Kentucky didn't elect me governor to debate religion. The elected me governor to create jobs, and that's what we're doing here," said Beshear. "Our laws don't allow us to discriminate as to entertainment subject matter of a theme park. And as long as it is legal and meets all of our criteria, I think it's clearly constitutional."

Ark Encounter's creators are hardly the first to identify religion as a potent tourist attraction. Christian-themed shows are a staple at the midwestern entertainment hub, Branson, Missouri, and even in New York City, a glittering nativity scene has been one of the highlights of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular for decades.

In Orlando, a Bible-themed park has been open for years. The 15-acre Holy Land Experience seeks to bring biblical stories to life, including daily recreations of the Last Supper, Christ's death on the Cross, and his resurrection. There's even a spot where guests can pose walking on water with Jesus.

The Ark's developers have also operated the popular and controversial Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., since 2007, located about 40 miles away from the planned ark park. The museum features high-tech exhibits like animatronic dinosaurs, illustrating the museum's narrative that God created dinosaurs and man at the same time, an idea that many Christians would dispute.

Some 1.2 million visitors have toured the Creation Museum since it opened, making it both popular and profitable, but not built with state funding.

Official Ark Encounter Website: http://arkencounter.com/
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[jayman]

OH GOD.. ( eyeroll)

[slosprint]

Oh, love. This brings childhood indoctrination to a whole new level. Whoever is building this is a complete ass.

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[Coasterkidmwm]

And in this ark they will fit two of every species including all of the arthropods and arid/polar climate zones cooperating together on harmony.

Why learn about the world around you when you can do Bible study?

[Turbo]

whatever happened to being "p.c."? lol

Originally posted by slosprint

Oh, love. This brings childhood indoctrination to a whole new level. Whoever is building this is a complete ass.

@first sentence: This.
@second sentence: This, but are you really surprised?
@third sentence: This. Also, note that I found out who "whoever is building this" is.

Mark Looy, a developer of the park who co-founded the nearby Creation Museum.

As I said, are you really surprised?

[gouldy]

Why all the fuss? It's only the same as building an entirely Harry Potter themed park. Theme parks based on fictional childrens stories seem to be on the up!

Sounds love awesomesauce.

[SauronHimself]

If somebody has $150 million to blow on opening a park, they can put whatever they want in it.

Slosprint, you can call it indoctrination all you want, but the fact of the matter is that parents know exactly how this park will be themed. If they don't like it, they don't have to go. If you get $150 million and want to build a homosexually-themed park called Rainbow Land, no one has the right to stop you.

To whoever keeps trying to burn down Mean Streak:

New Target Acquired.

[slosprint]

I wonder if they will put lions in with rabbits and see what happens.

Originally posted by gouldy

Why all the fuss? It's only the same as building an entirely Harry Potter themed park. Theme parks based on fictional childrens stories seem to be on the up!

WIN

And very true

[jayman]

a homosexually-themed park called Rainbow Land

the entrance way would look like the inside of a closet, and when you walk in you get greeted by cher and barbara striesand. and ted haggart escape from the closet would be the star attractuion . a superman the escape type ride where you get blasted out of the closet.. up up .. into camp " hom-o-no-mo " and right back down into the closet.. fun stuff. sorry, off subject but that would be funny.

[jayman]

oooOOOh looky .. theve alread got 133, 000 of the 24 million they are going o need. some kids are gonna be pissed at mom and dad when they realize why they didnt get anything good for christmas, and instead mom and dad give them a framed reciept for the donations in their name,
glory.

I wish some of you guys would grow up.

Originally posted by SauronHimself

If somebody has $150 million to blow on opening a park, they can put whatever they want in it.

Slosprint, you can call it indoctrination all you want, but the fact of the matter is that parents know exactly how this park will be themed. If they don't like it, they don't have to go. If you get $150 million and want to build a homosexually-themed park called Rainbow Land, no one has the right to stop you.

Thumbs up.

Originally posted by gouldy

Why all the fuss? It's only the same as building an entirely Harry Potter themed park. Theme parks based on fictional childrens stories seem to be on the up!

[approve]

am i the only Christian on this site?

Probably.

*sigh*

Jesus is just a Spanish boy's name.

Originally posted by RideWarriorNation

*sigh*

Well don't be sad. Atheists are some of the biggest douches and annoying people out there.

^Christians are worse.

[jayman]

Originally posted by RideWarriorNation

am i the only Christian on this site?

probably not.
this post isn't anti Cristian, nor have any of the responses been. most of us are just poking fun at the ridiculousness of clinging to the flood story to the point that someone seriously thinks they are going to get a shitload of millions of dollars to build their park based on an obviously fictitious story, which would be a ok, EXCEPT
they are trying to present it as scientific fact.
i look at it like this.
christian belive that the bible is true. period,
that means that they believe every single word. no matter what. even if it involves something completely impossible. like
joshua's talking donkey( portrayed in shreck .. missed that little 'blasphemy dintja')

or the miracles of jesus
or paul's conversion
or the ' battle of jericho'
or jonah and the "great fish "
the ressurECTION OF JESUS
I MEAN
these are things that christians believe.
and know what ?
i cant prove they aren't true. i wouldn't bother.
these are all things that people who believe in god believe god did.
christians will tell you that they believe, natch, KNOW, imean KNOW in that sense like when you stand outside in the rain and you know it's raining know .. that the bible is true.
and when questoned about john 3.16 they will tell you that it's faith . period,
so
why then ..
why do " christians' think its so important to make complete asses out of them selves at every turn in their so called " scientific research' to try to "scientifically prove creation "
seriously . save the bread and say , "i believe that god made the world get flooded,i cant prove it scientifically, but i believe god can do anything"
i dont have any beef with people who are christians ( anymore) the whole jesus story and what real christians believe is pretty cool , but when you do this.. it gets on my nerves


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